DepEd 7 Director Arturo Bayocot announced public schools will open classes on June 8, 2026, implementing a revised Senior High School curriculum for Grade 11 alongside updates for Grades 9 and 10.
Principal Karem Bolok stated Mayor A.S. Fortuna Memorial Elementary School teachers face increased workloads, working beyond regular hours to complete physical preparations and adapt to a new three-term system.
Persistent floods enter campus classrooms up to the windows, forcing staff to implement emergency detention protocols for student safety while waiting for Local School Board infrastructure funding for a drainage system.
DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) 7 officials and school administrators are busy preparing for the opening of classes in public schools on Monday, June 8, 2026.
DepEd 7 Director Arturo Bayocot said teachers are balancing campus preparations with training for a revised senior high school curriculum.
DepEd 7 is overseeing both the physical and academic preparations while managing these efforts simultaneously.
“Just like Brigada Eskwela, that’s physical preparation. But ongoing is also the training of our teachers for the revised curriculum, especially the strengthened Senior High School,” said Bayocot.
He said School Year 2026-2027 marks the implementation of the revised curriculum for Grade 11, alongside updates for Grades 9 and 10.
The combination of curriculum changes and physical preparations has added to teachers’ workload.
“That’s why our teachers are a bit overwhelmed due to the overlapping of activities, but it does not stop the schools from really proceeding and pursuing the Brigada Eskwela for the entire week,” Bayocot added.
Incessant floods
Karem Bolok, principal of Mayor A.S. Fortuna Memorial Elementary School in Mandaue City, said the faculty has been working beyond regular hours to ensure readiness.
“I hope we are really ready this Monday because, anyway, we won’t stop until Friday. We said that the school cleanup drive is until June 1 to 5. We will extend until Sunday, and we will see to it that we will be ready. We must be ready,” Bolok said.
Bolok recently held a faculty meeting to distribute instructional templates, including sample activity guides for the opening blocks and the end of block terms.
The school is also adjusting to a three-term system that begins this school year.
The return of students also highlights a recurring problem on campus. Mayor A.S. Fortuna Memorial Elementary School serves as a catch basin during heavy rains, causing floodwaters to enter the grounds and classrooms.
“The flood comes from the outside and enters … If it’s heavy, it goes inside the classroom. Until there are times it even reaches the window. So, it’s that bad, then it becomes a swimming pool,” Bolok explained.
Because deep floodwaters pose a safety hazard, the school follows an emergency standard operating procedure that prioritizes student safety over regular dismissal schedules.
When flash floods occur during class hours, teachers keep students inside their classrooms. The school does not allow any child to walk home alone through flooded streets.
“When the rain starts, the parents automatically come here because they get worried about their children,” Bolok said.
“If classes have already started, as discussed by the teachers, some of the teachers won’t let the children leave because it becomes harder to get out. We just wait until such time that the water goes down,” Bolok added.
Bolok said student safety remains their top priority, even if teachers have to stay beyond working hours while waiting for parents or guardians.
“We don’t let the child go home if there’s no one to fetch them because that’s during class hours. We don’t know where the child might wander off, or what might happen,” the school principal said.
“There are instances where the teacher stays late into the night because the child is still here, not yet fetched. Especially the small ones,” Bolok added.
When parents cannot reach the school because of rising floodwaters, administrators use verification protocols through direct messaging before releasing a student to an older sibling or relative.
School staff also continue to implement health measures, including mosquito-control treatments on campus to help prevent dengue outbreaks.
However, a long-term solution to the flooding problem depends on funding.
Bolok said the school is waiting for the release of Local School Board funds for infrastructure upgrades. School officials hope to secure funding for a drainage system capable of diverting runoff and protecting students from flooding. / ABC